The benefits of the "Wise Democracy Project" are so over-the-top and the risks so low that the whole idea can quickly be judged utopian or unachievable. Please stay curious .. it's worth it. Here we've laid out six different approaches to help people "get it." In addition, the 8 steps of the Project by themselves are valuable. So, just on that basis we can start the Project. And this will provide enough experience with the process to assure "getting it."
Phase 1 ... "Getting it" from various descriptions
Below are six different approaches you can explore to help you "get" the importance/necessity of the Wise Democracy Project
- Solving National Problems ... Start with a Monster Problem you care about deeply, understand how it arises from our System. And explore how this Project will remedy that Monster.
- Examine the 2002 book by Jim Rough, which describes a seemingly innocuous U.S. Constitutional Amendment that promises to transform our System: "Society's Breakthrough! Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People." Today's version of the "Citizen's Amendment" is the Wise Democracy Amendment.
- Investigate the social innovations which comprise the Wise Democracy Project. One idea for doing this is to review the free 5-part video seminar: Essential Wisdom for Solving Society's Biggest Issues. Another approach is to think about taking the 3-day seminar on Dynamic Facilitation and the Wisdom Council Process, which provides space for you to work on your personal impossible-seeming Monsters.
- Investigate how our current System, a Constitutional Republic, is in trouble because it structures competition as the basis for our society. One video is "American Democracy is collapsing ... we need a breakthrough!." Also, the web page "How we can save American Democracy"
- If you already know about the Citizens Assembly (and/or other Deliberative Democracy Councils) you might best start by examining how the Wisdom Council Process differs. Here is a chart comparing the two. In addition there are a number of other charts of comparison (e.g. contrast decision-making with choice-creating).
- Aim for what you want from our society. Create your BIGGEST WISH for America, for society in general. Then reflect on the wish we created, the Monster Wish. We think the Wise Democracy Project will accomplish the Monster Wish and your wish, because it is likely contained in the Monster Wish.
Phase 2 ... "Getting it" from experience with the Wise Democracy Project
Each phase of the Project facilitates an expanding collection of people, thinking and working together as "We the People." This monthly experience for a growing population will spark people to realize that this is an essential addition to our System.
Phase 0) ... Let's give it a try
Of course, we would like to be able to describe the Wise Democracy Project and have people vibrate with excitement. Heck, it promises to transform many of our most pressing, impossible-seeming problems and has no identifiable risk! But when any paradigm shift is involved, words alone are rarely enough. It's especially hard when all of us Americans are so attached to our Constitutional Republic, which we often mislabel "Democracy," and to the founding story of the United States. To challenge can feel like a death threat. But today this 18th century System is CAUSING many of America's "Monster Problems." Maybe we can proceed anyway.
Phase 1) ... Consider the 8 steps of the Wise Democracy Project. By themselves these offer amazing within-System benefits. For instance, they introduce a new model of change, not top-down or bottom-up but facilitative; they turn national attention toward solving one vitally important issue at a time; they create a living symbol of all-the-people; they set in motion a new national conversation aimed at mutual respect, cooperation and appreciation of diverse views; they educate citizens on particular issues and the history and logic of our current System; and they help people to feel involved and empowered, even in the face of seemingly impossible societal issues.
A good case can be made for starting the Wise Democracy Project even without understanding the System-transforming aspects. Then as people gain experience with the social innovations it becomes a lot easier to understand the whole vision.
Level 2) ... After the first Wisdom Council ... At this point we will have seen a random group of citizens, from both the Blue and Red teams, address some Monster issue and reach wise shared conclusions. The process works even when some people are disruptive or uninformed or stuck in an old mindset. We''ll also see how, after they present their shared conclusions to "the people," the audience receives this perspective with interest and open-mindedness, continuing the conversation in a more collegial manner than we might expect.
At this early stage maybe not so many people are involved, but this is not a process requiring us to "scale up." We start "at scale" by creating a symbol of everyone. And then with each additional Wisdom Council we “fill in” the symbolic “We the People” with ever more people. Anyone who refers to what the Wisdom Council says or the process, even just comments to friends, is a part of it. They have joined the conversation.
Level 3) ... After the first 3 or 4 national Wisdom Councils. The number of people in the conversation have grown exponentially with each cycle. There are people in the Wisdom Councils, from different face-to-face audiences, from the growing broadcast audiences, from various "responder meetings” in different communities, from various stakeholder or expert "responder meetings," etc. Remember, anyone who cares deeply about the Monster issue and knows about the Wisdom Council's conclusions is in the conversation.
Naturally, because we start with a random selection of people and they reach unity ... most people say "YES!" to what they hear from each Wisdom Council. So there is a growing co-sensus on each issue. And there is growing power for making the conclusions happen ... as individuals, NGO's, philanthropies, governmental bodies, etc, Also, as the process moves forward there is a growing understanding of the issues, the way change happens, and who we all are as "We the People."
Level 4) ... After one year of Wisdom Councils. Many more people are participating and there is ever greater convergence of views. People are co-creating clarity about the issues, their concerns and possible solution strategies. At this point the Wisdom Councils aren't just expressing a voice of the "public interest" that gets entered into the normal power struggle of special interests. It’s the emergence of a new, wise powerful "We the People," capable of asserting leadership to governance, the economy and the culture. Finally, we have a way to escape the usual pendulum swing of the Blue Team and the Red, so we can start making win/win progress that all can support.
Phase 0) ... Let's give it a try
Of course, we would like to be able to describe the Wise Democracy Project and have people vibrate with excitement. Heck, it promises to transform many of our most pressing, impossible-seeming problems and has no identifiable risk! But when any paradigm shift is involved, words alone are rarely enough. It's especially hard when all of us Americans are so attached to our Constitutional Republic, which we often mislabel "Democracy," and to the founding story of the United States. To challenge can feel like a death threat. But today this 18th century System is CAUSING many of America's "Monster Problems." Maybe we can proceed anyway.
Phase 1) ... Consider the 8 steps of the Wise Democracy Project. By themselves these offer amazing within-System benefits. For instance, they introduce a new model of change, not top-down or bottom-up but facilitative; they turn national attention toward solving one vitally important issue at a time; they create a living symbol of all-the-people; they set in motion a new national conversation aimed at mutual respect, cooperation and appreciation of diverse views; they educate citizens on particular issues and the history and logic of our current System; and they help people to feel involved and empowered, even in the face of seemingly impossible societal issues.
A good case can be made for starting the Wise Democracy Project even without understanding the System-transforming aspects. Then as people gain experience with the social innovations it becomes a lot easier to understand the whole vision.
Level 2) ... After the first Wisdom Council ... At this point we will have seen a random group of citizens, from both the Blue and Red teams, address some Monster issue and reach wise shared conclusions. The process works even when some people are disruptive or uninformed or stuck in an old mindset. We''ll also see how, after they present their shared conclusions to "the people," the audience receives this perspective with interest and open-mindedness, continuing the conversation in a more collegial manner than we might expect.
At this early stage maybe not so many people are involved, but this is not a process requiring us to "scale up." We start "at scale" by creating a symbol of everyone. And then with each additional Wisdom Council we “fill in” the symbolic “We the People” with ever more people. Anyone who refers to what the Wisdom Council says or the process, even just comments to friends, is a part of it. They have joined the conversation.
Level 3) ... After the first 3 or 4 national Wisdom Councils. The number of people in the conversation have grown exponentially with each cycle. There are people in the Wisdom Councils, from different face-to-face audiences, from the growing broadcast audiences, from various "responder meetings” in different communities, from various stakeholder or expert "responder meetings," etc. Remember, anyone who cares deeply about the Monster issue and knows about the Wisdom Council's conclusions is in the conversation.
Naturally, because we start with a random selection of people and they reach unity ... most people say "YES!" to what they hear from each Wisdom Council. So there is a growing co-sensus on each issue. And there is growing power for making the conclusions happen ... as individuals, NGO's, philanthropies, governmental bodies, etc, Also, as the process moves forward there is a growing understanding of the issues, the way change happens, and who we all are as "We the People."
Level 4) ... After one year of Wisdom Councils. Many more people are participating and there is ever greater convergence of views. People are co-creating clarity about the issues, their concerns and possible solution strategies. At this point the Wisdom Councils aren't just expressing a voice of the "public interest" that gets entered into the normal power struggle of special interests. It’s the emergence of a new, wise powerful "We the People," capable of asserting leadership to governance, the economy and the culture. Finally, we have a way to escape the usual pendulum swing of the Blue Team and the Red, so we can start making win/win progress that all can support.